My Clinical Trials Diary

Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

Search This Blog

Posts

Doctors have urged caution against the use of two medications widely prescribed for chronic low back pain after a systematic review of medical evidence found they carry significant risks of adverse effects without any proven benefit. The available evidence does not support the use of gabapentin and pregabalin for treating chronic low back pain, the doctors based in Canada and India said after reviewing multiple earlier studies comparing these drugs with placebo treatment, or sham pills. Chronic low back pain is a common health disorder with studies indicating prevalence rates of four in every 100 persons between 24 and 39 years to 20 in every 100 persons between 20 and 59 years. Doctors typically use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics to treat acute low back pain. But patients with chronic low back pain often receive prescriptions for gabapentin or pregabalin, which have been shown to be helpful in treating nerve-linked pain. "There is no justification for…

A national research institute of 'Unani' medicine will be set up at a village in Faridabad district, a spokesman of Haryana government said today. The institute, which will provide healthcare facilities in the field of non-communicable diseases, would also include a 120-bedded in-patient department, the spokesman of the Ayush department said.Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved a proposal to allot land of Kheri Gujran village for the institute.The institute would be developed as a state-of-the-art research centre with facilities for pre-clinical studies, clinical trials, drug standardisation and cultivation of medicinal plants used in 'Unani' system, the spokesman said.It would also offer facilities such as research and geriatric OPDs, speciality clinics, he said.The institute would have laboratories for bio-chemistry, pathology, radiology and USG, drug standardisation, immunology, pharmacognocy and phytochemistry, besides regimental therapy unit, library, mu…

Some medically useful compounds of cannabis may open the door for medical marijuana in India through a new government policy IN India, the controversial cannabis plant is a league of its own in legal, cultural, and religious spheres. A video on Swami Ramdev's YouTube channel about medical use of Indian hemp by Acharya Bal Krishan, CEO of Patanjali, underlines its scope in ayurveda. Even though the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act banned the production and sale of cannabis resin and flowers, it left the leaves and seeds for the states to regulate. For all you know, medical marijuana may already have made its way into India. Ram Vishawakarma, director of CSIR-India Institute of Integrative Medicine in Jammu, uses the word cannabidiol (CBD) instead of medical marijuana. At the institute, he is conducting a research on medical uses of CBD, an extract from the cannabis plant. Quoting studies published in top medical journals such as Nature, Vishawakarma says CBD has been appr…

While cholera vaccines work quite well for adults, they provide significantly less protection for children under 5, a population particularly at risk for dying from this diarroheal disease, says a study based on a review of research literature. The review, which considered seven clinical trials and six observational studies, found that the standard two-dose vaccine regimen reduced the risk of getting cholera on average by 58 per cent for adults but only by 30 per cent for children under age 5. The findings, published online in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, could help inform policymakers on how and when to use the vaccine, particularly in outbreak settings such as the ongoing epidemic in Yemen, which has seen an estimated 400,000 suspected cases and as many as 1,900 associated deaths since the outbreak began in April 2017. Cholera is transmitted through an oral-fecal route, with outbreaks and endemic transmission tending to occur in areas with poor sanitation and a lack of c…

Mylan's anti-Tuberculosis drug Delamanid's treatment will be limited to those patients who have stopped responding to most of first and second line of treatment. Indian unit of US drug maker Mylan Inc. has received approval from the country's drug regulator DCGI to market Delamanid, a new class of anti Tuberculosis (TB) medicine discovered to specifically treat Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR) in India. Like Bedaquiline, which was the first TB drug launched in 40 years in 2016, Delamanid's treatment will be "limited" to those patients who have stopped responding to most of first and second line of treatment. The drug billed as "wonder drug" will be rolled out in government-run-TB programme. Prior to this, the ministry of health and family welfare had in 2016 launched Bedaquiline drug for treatment of drug resistant TB for 600 patients across India. It was made available in five cities-Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad. With cases of multi dru…

The Union health ministry is reported to be considering to do away with the mandatory three phase clinical trials before launching new drugs if they have proved their safety and efficacy in developed countries. For this exemption, these new drugs should have been approved and marketed for at least two years in the markets of European Union, UK, US, Australia, Canada and Japan. The health ministry already sent the draft proposal in this regard to the ministry of law and justice for clearance. Permission to market new drugs are usually granted by the regulatory authorities in any country including in India only after carefully assessing the adverse drug reactions during the clinical trials. The health ministry thinks that the decision can avoid unnecessary repetition of trials and speed up the introduction of new drugs in the country. The health ministry thinks that change in trial rules should make it easier for the pharmaceutical companies to introduce drugs in India which are already…

The Indian government is looking to review the existing drug price control measures in order to make medicines more affordable in the country, and at increasing the number of clinical trials taking place in the country, reports The Pharma Letter's India correspondent.In a parallel move, the Health Ministry is also preparing a framework for public private partnership to tackle the menace of non-communicable diseases in the country, In a move that could potentially result in affordable Medicare and health security moving to a larger section of the population, the government is considering a rash of policy measures in favor of poor patients.Talks are also on in government circles to abolish clinical trials on proven drugs that have been approved and marketed for at least two years in the European Union, United States, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan.A draft proposal in this regard has been prepared by the Health Ministry. If instituted, it would reduce the time taken to introduce new…

About Me

Writer. Editor. Blogger.

Social Media Enthusiast.

After a couple of decades in the corporate world, I chose to live my dream as a professional copywriter, blogger and editor, I now enjoy the flexibility of working from home, orchestrating my writing and blogging and contributing regularly to various sites.

I craft content to help businesses connect with their target markets and express themselves, and feel privileged to work with a diverse and loyal clientele. I also edit manuscripts for publishers/authors.

Obviously, I do what I love and love what I do!

I enjoy collecting smiles. On really busy days, my free time is restricted to playing with my dust bunnies, showing my diabetes who's boss and celebrating the little things.

My goal is to make a difference in lives through my blogging, and I donate my blogging income to charity.

I find it very hard to say No to coffee and can't imagine my day starting without a really big mug. My favorite hobbies are writing, music, photography and cooking. I love books and read at least three at a time. I dream of visiting every country in the world, and have a long wishlist of places to see. DIY is second nature to me.